News

Mark your calendars for a special Black Lion Trading Company event as Captain Evon Gnashblade invites you to a unique “birthday” celebration in Lion’s Arch. You don’t give Evon gifts on his “birthday”—instead, he provides deep discounts and spectacular offers!

From November 25 to December 2, the Black Lion Vaults will open with exclusive offerings and a chance to trade materials for a few limited-time surprises. There will also be new vendors, new displays, and a whole new look to the Vaults, so get ready to head over to Lion’s Arch next week.

Evon’s “Birthday” Deals

Players logging in during the event will receive their “birthday” invitation in the mail encouraging them to visit the Vaults in Lion’s Arch. The message comes with a cinematic highlighting the location, setting the stage for the festivities. Here’s what you can expect during the event:

• 30% Off Black Lion Chest Keys: What savings! As part of the celebration, Black Lion Chest Keys are discounted by 30%, giving you the chance to unlock even more of the treasures Evon has carefully curated. The discount runs through the event dates, so be sure to take advantage of it before time runs out. Isn’t Evon so generous?
• Material Exchange: Evon also wants to help you clean out your cluttered inventory! During the event, you can exchange select materials for limited rewards, such as 250 Large Claws for a Guaranteed Wardrobe Unlock, and 150 Vicious Fangs for 3 Black Lion Chest Keys. Head to the Black Lion “Birthday” Manager vendor in the Vaults to see everything that is available.
• Wizard Vault: For those looking to earn a little extra recognition, completing a Wizard’s Vault objective will reward you with a little bonus of Astral Acclaim. It’s Evon’s way of showing you how much he cares about you on his “birthday.”

The Vaults Get a Fresh Look

Evon’s “birthday” isn’t just about discounts—it’s also an opportunity to experience the permanent changes in Lion’s Arch. Evon has literally blown the doors off the Vaults to make room for more inventory and show you the incredible items he has in stock!

The Vaults will now have new displays showcasing mounts, outfits, and other items in Evon’s inventory. These displays give a peek at what’s available for your character’s wardrobe and collections. Expect these displays to be updated every season, offering new looks as the items rotate.

Whether you “celebrate” by grabbing discounted items or by taking advantage of the more convenient trading post vendor, there’s no better time than Evon Gnashblade’s “Birthday” Celebration to head to Lion’s Arch and check out the Vaults!

“Godspawn” Is Live

Today we’re excited to lift the curtain and launch the first major update for Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™—”Godspawn”! This update contains three new story chapters to continue the expansion’s story and set the commander on a difficult journey as they go against the titan forces.

As a reminder, this update—and the other two major updates to follow in 2025—are automatically unlocked for owners of the Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds expansion! You can check out all the details of today’s update in the full release notes on our official forums.

To begin this content, players must have completed up through Chapter 3, “Home Sweet Home” in the Janthir Wilds story journal tab. Once completed, players can choose to skip ahead by selecting “11. Trial and Error,” and clicking “Play This Chapter.

• 
• 
• 

What’s New?

Many of the details for “Godspawn” were discussed in our recent studio update blog. As a quick recap, you can experience the following when you jump into the game today:

• Three new story chapters
• A new ten-person raid—our first in five years
• A new fifty-person Convergence, with public and squad-based challenges against legendary titans
• A new legendary spear, Klobjarne Geirr
• A new Mastery tier
• A Wizard’s Vault seasonal refresh
• Additional expansion relics
• New homestead decorations
• Many new rewards, including minis, guild decorations, armor, weapons, and more

• 
• 
• 

Legendary Spear: Klobjarne Geirr

In case you missed it, we recently released a trailer for the new legendary spear, Klobjarne Geirr, showcasing it in all its glory! This storied weapon once belonged to the nameless Claw who, thousands of years ago, led the kodan south, guiding his people to safety from the Dragonstorm. With six unique cosmetic styles, the Klobjarne Spear lets you align its appearance with your fashion preference. Its intricate design reflects the legacy of a spear that saved countless lives and its elegance shines in motion. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, it’s worth a look to truly appreciate this legendary weapon’s full potential!

Wizard’s Vault Seasonal Refresh

The Astral Ward has conjured up a new season of the Wizard’s Vault filled with exciting new objectives. Complete them to earn astral acclaim—yours to spend on a trove of new and returning rewards!

This season’s treasures include the playful Dog Bench Chair for lounging with a pack of loyal hounds, the Enchanted Warclaw Mount Skin, the shadowy Rot Stalker armor to add an ominous edge to your look, and the spine-chilling Alabaster Spider’s weapon set to unleash some real creep factor. And don’t worry—rewards from the previous season are available in the Legacy Rewards tab, so you can unlock exclusive cosmetics from previous seasons at your own pace.

The wizards weren’t only busy creating new achievements and rewards. Players who purchase a Legendary Weapon Starter Key can use it to teleport to the Mists Vault, where they can choose from a selection of four legendary starter kits and begin their journey toward a legendary weapon. Members of the Astral Ward are also on hand to help explain the road to crafting a legendary weapon and conjure previews of the weapons you’ll be choosing from. If you’d like to visit and take in the view of the Mists without a starter key, you can speak with Field Archivist Cierle inside the Mists Vault or Sarettokk in Lion’s Arch to obtain a Mists Vault access key.

Twitch Drops

‘Tis the season to get cozy around the homestead fireplace, and what better way to do it in style than with some festive Twitch Drops! From November 19 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) to November 24 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7), you’ll be able to watch your favorite Guild Wars 2 stream and snag some awesome regards! Here’s what you can unlock when you watch:

• One hour of viewing time: 5 Transmutation Charges
• Two hours of viewing time: Festive Hat Skin
• Four hours of viewing time: Snowflake Glider
• Seven hours of viewing time: Winter Solstice Outfit

More Guild Wars 2 Happenings

Here’s what’s on the horizon for Guild Wars 2, including its exciting debut on the Epic Games Store! The upcoming New Heroes Jump Start event will welcome players old and new, with opportunities to boost their progress and earn extra rewards as they dive into the adventure. Anticipated quality-of-life improvements are also on the way for World vs. World, creating a smoother and more dynamic battlefield experience for all. Early next year, players can expect impactful skills and balance improvements, plus fresh additions to the Wizard’s Vault.

Wintersday will bring three weeks of festive cheer, and the Lunar New Year celebration will return early next year, filling the Crown Pavilion in Divinity’s Reach with lively activities to mark the Canthan new year. Alongside these seasonal highlights, bonus events focused on returning to past content releases will provide even more ways for players to earn rewards and dive into the action.

There will be some more events and surprises as we head into 2025 and into our next release, so stay tuned to the official Guild Wars 2 channels to stay in the loop!

Hello, Tyrians!

As the release of the next Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™ chapter, “Godspawn,” draws near on November 19, we’re thrilled to share some exciting new trailers and an exclusive look at our first raid in five years, along with the upcoming Convergence event on Mount Balrior! Players will soon be able to explore this new, mysterious area, crafted to test even the most battle-hardened adventurers. Both the raid and the Convergence are packed with high-stakes encounters, hidden lore, and mechanics designed to challenge teams of all sizes, whether you’re facing the mountain’s dangers with a ten-player squad or a fifty-player group.

Raiding inside Mount Balrior

To enter Mount Balrior, gather your team and travel to either the Lion’s Arch Aerodrome or Janthir Syntri, where a portal will transport you into the heights of the mountain fortress. Awaiting within is a treacherous path brimming with enemies.

Mount Balrior is structured with three main bosses and additional encounters, with each section designed to test your coordination and adaptability. Exploration will also play a key role for those looking to delve into the raid’s lore. You’ll be teaming up once again with the Durmand Priory’s expert scholar, Glenna, and comparing notes about what has been occurring in the region.

Greer and Decima: Evolved Mechanics, Fiercer than Ever

Prepare to face a whole new level of intensity as Greer and Decima return with their differing combat styles—and while each boss will create its own set of challenges, we have designed the normal mode of the raid to allow pickup groups and more casual raiders a chance at success. Greer’s relentless, chaotic attacks are back in force, demanding sharp reflexes and adaptability, while Decima’s highly structured mechanics require meticulous planning and coordination to overcome. Their signature moves and visual cues will feel familiar, but don’t be fooled—each ability has been reimagined, layered with new complexities that will keep your team on its toes. And, of course, the titans aren’t finished surprising you yet; Greer and Decima have a few entirely new tricks to ensure a very challenging experience.

And to make matters more dire, Greer and Decima won’t be alone for long…

For those seeking the ultimate test, a future update will introduce a challenge mode for all of the bosses and a legendary mode for the final boss. These modes escalate the difficulty for thrill-seekers and top-tier raiders alike. The final boss’s legendary mode will demand unparalleled skill, offering a race to world-first completion.

Convergences in Janthir Wilds

Our newest Convergence activity, located at the Harvest Den bonfire in Lowland Shore, offers players a new challenge and a shared adventure. Like the Convergence in Guild Wars 2®: Secrets of the Obscure™, up to fifty players can take on this event, bringing squads together to face familiar foes with a twist.

Public squads, up to fifty players, launch every three hours, staggered to create Convergence events every hour-and-a-half as they alternate with Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure Convergences. If you’d rather tackle it with a private squad of any size, you’re welcome to start the event for the cost of an Unstable Rift Motivation at any time! Players can expect a similar level of difficulty to the Convergence from Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure. Most groups will complete this event within 20 to 30 minutes, offering an exciting but approachable challenge.

Much like we teased in the prelaunch blog, this Convergence features the Claw of the lowland kodan, Stoic Alder, as he narrates the player’s journey to young kodan cubs. Alder’s storytelling adds a unique twist each time, creating unexpected moments that keep everyone guessing as the tale unfolds.

Our team took on the exciting challenge with this multipurpose map, which is designed to host Convergences, story quests, and raid content. Packed with hidden passages and breakable walls, it allows designers to modify and reshape areas, creating a truly unique environment for each encounter. Exploring its depths may even reveal a few hidden details for those who enjoy uncovering every secret!

Familiar Faces, New Challenges

In the release of “Godspawn,” players who take part in the new Convergence will confront Decima and Greer, with a final boss joining in two future updates to expand the variety and keep players on their toes.

For those who’ve battled Greer and Decima in raids, you’ll recognize some of their attacks in this new Convergence—although they’ve been tailored for the fifty-player experience. Built specifically for Convergence encounters, these bosses will have distinct strategies and adapted abilities. Each boss will provide its own unique challenge and surprises throughout the Convergence, and you’ll need to work together to come out victorious.

Things are going to get wild next week when Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds—“Godspawn” releases! We’ll leave you today with some fun facts about the bosses you’ll be facing. Do you have what it takes to confront these titanic foes?

• 
• 
• 

Hello, Tyrians!

Guild Wars 2® is now on the Epic Games Store! We’re excited to make the world of Tyria accessible to new audiences, and with the recent launch of Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Epic Games Store players can dive into the core Guild Wars 2 experience for free, with the same access as free accounts created on GuildWars2.com. And for those ready to dive even deeper, all expansions—Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire®, End of Dragons®, Secrets of the Obscure™, and Janthir Wilds—are available from day one!

A New Start

Guild Wars 2 has captivated players for 12 incredible years, and to celebrate this milestone—along with our exciting new partnership with Epic Games—we’re thrilled to unveil a brand-new trailer that captures the heart and journey of Tyria.

Now is also a great time to start a new adventure in Guild Wars 2! From November 12 to November 25, join the New Hero Jump Start Event, where players can earn bonus experience and choose between a powerful main-hand or two-handed exotic weapon that scales dynamically with their level. Leveling up has never been easier, making it the perfect time to dive into Tyria or experiment with a new profession.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just beginning your journey, there are epic battles to fight and countless adventures ahead.

Please note that existing Guild Wars 2 accounts created through the Epic Games Store cannot be linked to accounts created through Steam or the Guild Wars 2 website, and any codes purchased for these accounts remain exclusive to their respective platforms. However, players on first-party, Steam, and Epic can all enjoy gameplay together in the same game world, with the Epic launch available in North America and Europe.

Festivals and Bonus Events

In Guild Wars 2 we love to celebrate! Throughout the year you’ll be able to experience different festivals and bonus events within Tyria. Here’s the full schedule of festivals and bonus events coming to Guild Wars 2 in the next few months:

• October 29–November 19: Extra Life
• November 12–November 25: New Hero Jump Start Event
• November 25–December 2: Evon Gnashblade’s “Birthday” Celebration
• December 10–December 31: Wintersday Event

Don’t forget to bookmark our handy event calendar to keep tabs on what’s happening in the game!

We’re excited to be part of the Epic Games Store and can’t wait to see you in Tyria. It’s a great time to dive in and experience all that Guild Wars 2 has to offer!

Greetings, Tyrians!

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a few months since Guild Wars 2®: Janthir Wilds™ launched. As we wind down 2024, we’d like to give the community an update about all things Guild Wars 2. Our fifth expansion added one of the most requested features to the game—homesteads—and it’s been wonderful watching the creativity of players as they decorate their new homes. You also got to experience the beauty of Lowland Shores and survive the dangers of Janthir Syntri with your new allies, the lowland kodan. With the kodans’ help, you were taught to wield spears and ride the warclaw like you never have before. But Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds has just begun, and in one week, you’ll be able to join forces to tackle our first raid in five years, craft a new legendary spear, and continue your story with the lowland kodan.

Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds—”Godspawn”

“Godspawn,” the first of three major updates to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds, is coming on November 19. Three new story chapters will continue your adventure against the threat of the titans. Will you and your allies be able to uncover a path to securing peace for the inhabitants of the Isles of Janthir?

In addition to new story chapters, there will also be a new raid and Convergence, the new legendary spear, Klobjarne, along with a new Wizard’s Vault season, relics, weapon and armor rewards, a Mastery update, and new homestead decorations!

Stay tuned for previews of the new rewards and Wizard’s Vault refresh in our launch day blog!

Raids Are Back!

In next week’s update, we will be introducing our new 10-person raid, which will take you to Mount Balrior. It features three bosses and several smaller, varied encounters that will test your coordination and adaptability.

At the heart of Mount Balrior’s narrative are Greer, the Blightbringer, and Decima, the Stormsinger, the two titans you battled in Janthir Syntri. After their defeat, they’ve retreated to Mount Balrior to recover and regroup. This time, they won’t be alone. Their raid versions bring back the chaotic, relentless attacks of Greer and the structured, strategic mechanics of Decima, but cranked up to new levels of intensity. Expect familiar moves executed in ways that will keep your group on their toes, along with a few completely new surprises that Greer and Decima have in store.

Embark on the New Convergence in Lowland Shore

For a different flavor of group content, we are also launching a new Convergence in the “Godspawn” update! Like the Convergence in Guild Wars 2®: Secrets of the Obscure™, up to 50 players can participate in public squads every three hours, with private squads able to start any time. Expect a challenge comparable to the Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure Convergence bosses, with most groups completing it in 20-30 minutes.

In this journey, Stoic Alder, the Claw of the lowland kodan, narrates your adventure to young kodan cubs, adding unique story twists with every playthrough. Fans of Greer and Decima will find familiar attacks, but with adaptations that make this event a fresh experience. As our first multi-purpose map, Mount Balrior includes hidden passages and adaptive designs, setting the stage for future rotations of bosses and a challenge mode arriving later next year.

Stay tuned as we dive deeper into what’s next for both raids and Convergences in an upcoming blog later this week!

World vs. World (WvW) Updates

Our team is focused on refining core systems in WvW while we continue planning for some of our larger, long-term goals. One major area of focus is incentivizing winning—or, in other words, creating shared goals that encourage teamwork. We’ve consistently heard two key pieces of feedback: players often have different preferences for defending versus not defending, and, more generally, many players feel there aren’t enough incentives to win matchups. By aligning team goals around winning, we hope to address both these issues. It’s a big task, but it’s one we’re dedicated to, and we’re excited to start rolling out improvements.

We’re also making some significant scoring adjustments for the first time in a while. This is an essential step in aligning player goals and encouraging teams to prioritize winning together. We’ve updated PPK (points per kill) values, the points for capturing objectives, and will soon launch adjusted VP (Victory Point) numbers tailored to different time zone coverage.

In the short term, we’ve been updating several key parts of WvW game elements. We’ve overhauled the siege system, improved the participation system to make earning repel credit more consistent, and introduced new attribute combinations exclusive to WvW (alongside tweaks to existing ones that don’t impact PvE). We’re also working to adjust certain tactics and strengthen objective lords to better serve as rally points for defenders. To make WvW more rewarding, we’ve added unique skins, infusions, new ways to spend WvW currencies, and better skirmish track rewards.

Accessibility for new players is a key goal, too. The warclaw is now immediately available in WvW, mastering it is faster, and new exotic gear with selectable attributes is readily obtainable.

World vs. World Restructuring and Competitive Updates

The World Restructuring team is currently focused on larger improvements to the team-creation algorithm, with special consideration given to improving the issue described in this forum post.

We’re also enhancing the guild panel with a new UI element that displays which members have selected the guild as their WvW guild, making it easier for guilds to coordinate their World vs. World activities and avoid missing team-creation lockout deadlines.

Additionally, we’re updating the character select screen, replacing World Selection with a Region Selection UI panel. This will allow seamless transfers between North American and European datacenters. With this change, intra-region transfers will no longer be necessary, which also eliminates the risk of spending gems on redundant world transfers. Regional transfers will now have a flat cost of 500 gems simplifying the process.

Also, for players who took part in our PvP Push beta event, we recently sent out a survey to gather feedback on the event, and we’ll be reviewing the responses and then determining our next steps for the game mode. There will be more Push news in 2025 as we continue to work with the community on building the Push PvP mode.

Guild Wars 2 on the Epic Games Store!

Guild Wars 2 will be making its debut on the Epic Games Store later this month, and we’re thrilled to welcome a new batch of players to the world of Tyria. Guild Wars 2 has been captivating players for the past 12 years, and we are excited to make Tyria even more accessible to players by partnering with Epic.

Keep a look out on our official platforms for a release date (and an epic new Guild Wars 2 trailer) soon!

Wrapping Up 2024

While the year may be coming to a close soon, there’s still plenty of things coming up for Guild Wars 2. November and December will also include more events: a two-week New Hero Jump Start event, a “birthday” bash for Evon Gnashblade, and Wintersday coming up on December 10. Lunar New Year and a second skills and balance update will be coming along near the end of January 2025. Around then—or a little after—we’ll be back to talk about the next few months of Guild Wars 2.

Here are some dates for our upcoming events to close out the year:

• October 29–November 19: Extra Life In-Game Bonus
• November 12–November 25: New Hero Jump Start Event
• November 25–December 2: Evon Gnashblade’s “Birthday” Celebration
• December 10–January 2: Wintersday Event

And finally, as a reminder of what’s still to come in Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds in 2025, we have this handy content chart:

Happy adventuring! We’ll see you in the game.

—The Guild Wars 2 Team